Cover retaining means



Feb. 4, 1936. E. M. DAVIS COVER RETAINING MEANS Filed Feb. 27, 1952 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1936 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE COVER RETAINING MEANS Elmer M. Davis, Chicago, 111., assignor to Swift and Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 27, 1932, Serial No. 595,574

. 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a cover retaining means particularly adapted for use in securely holding the cover of a butter tubin position.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a cover retaining means which may be used in connection with a butter tub without damaging the cover or the tub. Another object of this invention is to provide a butter tub cover fastener which will not become loosened or unfastened by rough handling in transportation. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims which follow.

Butter is conventionally packed in wooden, coopered tubs tapered from the top inwardly to the bottom to facilitate removal of the contents. The present invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with such tubs. Conventionally, such tubs are provided with a circular wooden cover secured to the top by nails driven directly through the edge of the cover into the top of the tub sides, or by metal straps nailed to the cover and to the sides of the. tub. Such nails tend to damage both the tub and the cover and reduce their value on the second hand butter tub market. Various types of snap-on covers have been proposed from time to time, but are not successful in practice because of high production cost and because of their tendency to become dislodged due to the handling to which butter tubs are necessarily subjected to in ordinary use.

Referring now to the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container employing the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed section in perspective of one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a detailed section in perspective of another embodiment of the present invention.

The tub I is shown as constructed of wooden staves held in tapered cylindrical form by strap metal hoops 2, 3, and 4. The cover 5, is provided with hoop B, firmly attached to the cover 5 at the peripheral edge 1, and provided with depending skirt 8. Skirt 8 is provided with a plurality of holes 9. In Figures 1 and 3 screws Ill are mounted in the tub I passing through hoop 2 to assure greater rigidity of screws In. The cover 5 is held securely upon the tub I, in intimate contact with the upper edge ll thereof by ties l2, passing through holes 9 and around screws [0. Ties [2 are preferably malleable wires, but any other desired material may be used for the ties.

In Figure 2, hole I3, is shown in hoop 2, which is bent outwardly as at M to permit the tie I2 to be passed through hole l3.

In practice, after tub I has been filled with product as butter or the like, cover 5 is placed in position such that holes 9 are approximately di rectly above screws H1 or holes l3 as the case may be. Ties l2 are passed through holes 9 and through holes l3 or around screws l0, as the case may be, and drawn taut and knotted or twisted as at l5 to securely hold cover 5 in position. When it is desired to remove the product, ties 12 are untied or cut, permitting removal of cover 5 without damage to cover 5 or tub I.

It will be seen therefore, that screws l0 shown in Figures 1 and 3 and hole l3 shown in Figure 2 are in effect anchorage means in permanently fixed relationship with the outside of the walls of the container and are spaced from and below depending skirt 8, and holes 9 in skirt 8 are also anchorage means.

It will be seen that the present invention eliminates the possibility of the loss of the cover which frequently results where snap-on covers are used. The present invention is clearly a decided improvement on the method of securing covers on wooden tubs by direct nailing or by nailing straps to the cover and the wall of the container. Nailing is unsatisfactory not only because of damage to the tub and cover, but because of possibility of contamination of the product by reason of nails passing through into the product. Straps nailed or otherwise fastened on the top of the cover prevent proper stacking of the tubs for shipment or storage.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the construction of the tubs and the cover and in the method of securing the cover to the tub without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a container of the class described, fastening means comprising a perforated depending skirt rigidly aflixed to the cover of said container and overhanging the outer side thereof and a perforated hoop rigidly afiixed to the outer wall of said container spaced from and below said depending skirt and wire ties passing through the perforations in said depending skirt and the said perforations in said hoop.

2. In a container comprising a body wall and a bottom in permanently fixed relationship, hoop supports secured to the outer face of said wall, and a removable cover, means for fastening said cover to said container, said fastening means comprising a perforated depending skirt rigidly aflixed to the cover of said container and overhanging the outer side thereof, anchorage means cover to said container, said fastening means 7 comprising a depending skirt rigidly aii'ixed to the cover of said container and overhanging the outer side thereof, said skirt provided with permanently fixed anchorage means, anchorage means in permanently fixed association with one of said hoops spaced from and below said depending skirt, and removable ties connecting the anchorage means of said skirt and the anchorage means of said wall, said ties being removable without disturbing the anchorage means of said skirt and without disturbing the anchorage means associated with said hoop.

4. In a container comprising a body wall and a bottom in permanently fixed relationship, hoop supports secured to the outer face of said wall, and a removable cover, means for fastening said cover to said container, said fastening means comprising a. perforated depending skirt rigidly afiixed to the cover of said container and overhanging the outer side thereof, protruding means in permanently fixed association with one of said hoops spaced from and below said depending skirt, and removable wire ties passing through the perforations in said depending skirt and connected to said protruding means, said wire ties being removable without disturbing the perforations in said skirt and without disturbing the protruding means associated with said hoop.

5. In a container comprising a body wall and a bottom in permanently fixed relationship, hoop supports secured to the outer face of said wall, and a removable cover, means for fastening said cover to said container, said fastening means comprising a depending skirt rigidly aflixed to the cover of said container and overhanging the outer side thereof, said skirt provided with permanently fixed anchorage means, protruding means in permanently fixed association with one of said hoops spaced from and below said depending skirt, and removable ties connecting the anchorage means of said skirt and said protruding means, said ties being removable without disturbing the anchorage means of said skirt and without disturbing the protruding means associated with said hoop.

ELMER M. DAVIS. 

